This map shows the male legal age of consent for heterosexual sex in different countries around the world. The age of consent is the age at which a young person is legally able to understand and agree to consensual sex. In most countries, until you reach this age it is illegal for somebody to have sex with you, however old they may be. Sometimes the law is slightly different when the partners are of a similar age, but there is usually still a minimum age below which sex is always illegal.

The major reason given for these laws is to protect young people, often called "minors," from exploitation. Some age of consent laws also prohibit showing pornography to minors. Some laws also could be considered benificial because they prohibit giving drugs (such as alcohol) to minors.

The age of consent differs in every state, and in every country. Globally, the age of consent ranges from 12 years of age to 21

Average age: 16 years

The age of consent laws also are contingent upon various factors, such as the type of sexual activity, the relationship between the two parties, the age and sex of both parties, and other specifics. Some states allow sex for those who are legally married, even though they are below the state's consent age.

For those 13-16, restrictions include abuse, violence, threat, coercion, or harassment in a relationship of dependence, authority or power, or by taking advantage of the fact that the minor, for any reason, couldn’t freely give consent.

Armenia

16

16

Aruba

16

16

Australian Capital Territory

16

16

New South Wales & Norfolk Is.

16

16

Northern Territory

16

16

Queensland

16

18

Sodomy (or in this case, anal sex) is not permitted with any person under the age of 18, regardless of gender or what position is taken by which individual

South Australia

17

17

Tasmania

17

17

Victoria

16

16

Western Australia

16

16

Austria

14

18

if one of the partners is younger than 16 years of age and “not sufficiently mature to understand the significance of the act”, then the act is punishable.

Azerbaijan

16

16

Bahamas, The

16

18

Bahrain

16

Illegal

must be married; If the female is under 16 he will have a capital punishment or life imprisonment.

Bangladesh

N/A

Illegal

Barbados

16

Illegal

Belarus

16

16

Belgium

16

16

Belize

16

Illegal

Bermuda

16

18

Benin

N/A

Legal

Bhutan

18

Illegal

Bolivia

16

16

must be married

Bosnia and Herzegovina

16

16

Botswana

14

Illegal

Brazil

14

14

Illegal for military gay men & lesbians; only individuals aged 18 or older can be legally charged, once this is the Brazilian age of criminal responsibility according to the Federal Constitution

Brunei

16

Illegal

Bulgaria

14

14

Burkina Faso

13

13

Burma

14

Illegal

Burundi

18

Illegal

Cambodia

16

N/A

Cambodia

16

16

Cameroon

21

Illegal

but 18 if married

Canada

16

18

Gay men are allowed in the military.

Cape Verde

N/A

Legal

Cayman Islands

N/A

N/A

Central African Republic

N/A

Legal

Chad

N/A

21

Chile

14

18

China

14

14

Hong Kong

16

16

Macau

16

N/A

Colombia

14

14

Cook Islands

16

Illegal

Costa Rica

18

18

Côte d'Ivoire

15

15

Croatia

14

14

Cuba

16

16

Cyprus

13

17 (Illegal in north)

Czech Republic

15

15

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

18

Illegal

Denmark

15

15

Dominica

16

N/A

Dominican Republic

18

18

Netherlands Antilles

16

16

Ecuador

14

14

Egypt

18

Illegal

El Salvador

18

N/A

Equatorial Guinea

18

N/A

Eritrea

18

Illegal

Estonia

14

14

Ethiopia

15

Illegal

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

16

16

Faroe Islands

15

15

Fiji

16

16 (unofficial)

Finland

16

16

Macedonia [FYROM]

16

16

France

15

15

French Guiana

15

15

French Polynesia

16

16

Gabon

18

18

Gambia, The

16

Illegal

South Georgia and the Islands

16

16

Germany

14

18

it is illegal for someone aged over 21 to have sex with someone under 16

Ghana

16

Illegal

Gibraltar

16

18

Greece

15

15

“Seduction” of a male younger than 17 could be punished by 3 months-to-5 years prison.

Greenland

15

15

Grenada

17

Illegal

Guam

16

16

Guadeloupe

15

15

Guatemala

18

18

Guernsey

16

16

Guinea

15

Illegal

Guyana

16

Illegal

Haiti

18

18

Honduras

15

15

law does not provide a minimum age for sex, by analogy with other laws in the country could deduce that the minimum age is 15 years under the fact that sex with a child under 14 years, although they are voluntary, will always be considered rape.

Hungary

14

14

Iceland

15

15

India

16

18

Indonesia

19

18

Iran

Must be married

Illegal

Iraq

18

N/A

Ireland

17

17

Isle of Man

16

16

Israel

14-16

14-16

as long as the male is less than 3 years older than the female, and both sides agree and do it willingly

Italy

14

14

Jamaica

16

Illegal

Japan

13-18

13-18

Although the age of sexual consent in Japan is 13 years of age, prefecture law usually overrides federal law, raising the age up to 18. The legal age of consent for sex in Tokyo and Nagano is 13, not 18 like the rest of the country.

Jersey

16

16

Jordan

16

16

Kazakhstan

18

N/A

Kenya

18

Illegal

Kuwait

Must be married

Illegal

Kyrgyzstan

N/A

N/A

Laos

15

N/A

Latvia

16

14

Sexual activities that do not involve vaginal intercourse can occur from age 14

Lebanon

18

Illegal

If the partners are married to one another they can have sexual relations at 15

Lesotho

14

N/A

Liberia

16

Illegal

Libya

18

Illegal

Liechtenstein

14

14

Lithuania

14

14

Luxembourg

16

16

Madagascar

21

21

Mali

16

N/A

Malta

18

18

Malaysia

16

Illegal

Marshall Islands

16

16

Martinique

15

15

Mauritius

15

Illegal

Mexico

12-18

12-18

In Mexico the federal law varies according to the age gap between partners and is often overruled by regional laws.

Moldova

14

14

Monaco

15

15

Mongolia

16

N/A

Montenegro

14

14

Morocco

15

Illegal

Mozambique

16

Illegal

Namibia

16

Illegal

Nepal

16

N/A

Netherlands

16

16

Netherlands Antilles

16

16

New Caledonia

16

16

New Zealand

16

16

Nicaragua

N/A

N/A

Niger

13

21

Nigeria

13

Illegal

Korea, North

17

17 (unofficial)

Norway

16

16

Oman

Must be married

Illegal

Pakistan

Must be married

Illegal

Panama

18

18

Papua New Guinea

14

Illegal

In Papua New Guinea, anal sex is illegal in all cases.

Paraguay

14

16

Peru

14

14

Philippines

18

18

Poland

15

15

Portugal

16

16

Puerto Rico

14

14

Qatar

Must be married

Illegal

Réunion

16

16

Romania

15

15

Russia

16

16

Rwanda

18

18

San Marino

14

14

Saudi Arabia

Must be married

Illegal

Senegal

13

Illegal

Serbia

14

14

Singapore

16

Illegal

Slovakia

15

15

Slovenia

15

15

Somalia

N/A

Illegal

South Africa

16

16

Korea, South

13

13

Spain

13

13

Sri Lanka

16

Illegal

Saint Kitts and Nevis

14

N/A

Saint Lucia

16

16

Saint Martin

N/A

N/A

Sudan

Must be married

Illegal

Suriname

16

18

Sweden

15

15

Swaziland

18

Illegal

Switzerland

16

16

Syria

15

Illegal

Taiwan

16

16

Tajikistan

17

N/A

Tanzania

18

Illegal

Thailand

18

18

Togo

14

Illegal

Tonga

16

Illegal

Trinidad and Tobago

16

Illegal

Tunisia

20

Illegal

Turkey

18

18

Turkmenistan

16

Illegal

Tuvalu

N/A

Illegal

Uganda

18

Illegal

Ukraine

16

16

United Arab Emirates

18

Illegal

Married

United Kingdom

16

16

England

16

16

Wales

16

16

Northern Ireland

17

17

Scotland

16

16

Uzbekistan

16

Illegal

Uruguay

15

15

Vanuatu

16

16

Holy See (Vatican City)

12

N/A

Venezuela

16

16

Vietnam

18

18

Samoa

16

Illegal

Yemen

Must be married

Illegal

Zambia

16

Illegal

Zimbabwe

16

Illegal

Alabama

16

16

Alaska

16

16

Arizona

18

18

Arkansas

16

16

California

18

18

Colorado

17

17

Connecticut

16

16

District of Columbia

16

16

Delaware

18

18

but it is legal for teenagers aged 16 and 17 to engage in sexual intercourse as long as the older partner is younger than 30